The invention concerns an automated microscope system. In particular, the invention concerns an automated microscope system which is configured such that no thermal, stability, or focus problems occur in the microscope stand.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,329,015 discloses a microscope having an illumination device separate from the microscope stand. The illumination device is connected to the microscope via a light-guiding cable. The result of the physical separation between the microscope stand and the illumination device is that the heat generated by the illumination device is decoupled from the microscope stand. An automated microscope is not disclosed.
German Unexamined Application DE 198 39 777 discloses an electric microscope. The electric microscope comprises a data input unit for inputting objective data, an objective data memory, a control circuit, a revolving nosepiece, a nosepiece switcher, a nosepiece drive motor, a nosepiece driver circuit, a rotational position sensor for sensing the rotational position of the nosepiece, a coder for continuously sensing the rotational position of the nosepiece, and other components necessary for a conventional microscope. It is evident from the disclosure of DE 198 39 777 that all the aforementioned elements are arranged directly on or in the microscope stand. The problem of excessive heat generation by the large number of electronic elements in or directly on the stand was not acknowledged or addressed.
It is therefore the object of the invention to provide an automated microscope in which the thermal drift in the stand is prevented, and stable focus is thus guaranteed. A further object of the present invention is to provide an economical automation system for different microscope sizes and for different microscope types.
The object is achieved by an automated microscope system which is characterized in that a box is provided in which at least one control and power supply unit is installed; and that the box is arranged physically separately from the microscope stand and is connected to the microscope stand with at least one data cable.
One advantage of the invention is that the separation of the control and power supply unit from the microscope results in a particular degree of variability. Automation can be achieved for different microscope types. It is possible to achieve rapid adaptation of the control operations to the different microscope types (upright and/or inverted microscopes).
A further advantage of the invention is that there is no need to use large stands for the automation system with integrated electronics. In addition, because of the invention it is no longer necessary for different circuit boards to be produced for each of the various types of stand. This yields a considerable cost advantage, since multiple identical circuit boards can be produced and used with the different types of stand. For certain applications (specimen dissection, computer industry), the space around the microscope is sometimes restricted, so that it is important for the microscope itself to require little space. A small microscope, which is connected to the external control and power supply unit only via a cable, is particularly suitable here.
A further advantage of the invention is that the workstation around the microscope can be much better organized. Even with large microscopes having many controllable functions, it is often not possible to house all the control units in the microscope stand. Additional units for the corresponding controllers are thus required on the workstation, which negatively affects organization and ergonomics.
A further advantage of the invention is that the control box possesses the same shape and configuration regardless of the application.